Commutator and the like



R. A. L. VOLET.

COMMUTATOR AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 6, 1920.

1,4 I Patented Dec. 20, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- ,fizyazzzor 226226091 1? 00 Z2 R. A. L. VOLET.

COMMUTATOR AND THE LIKE.

APPLICAUON man ocr. 6. I920.

Patented Dec 20, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

lhlll l i fiyezzia jazz 01.27, W026? z WW UNITED STATES PATENT o FFFICE.

RENE ALFRED LAURENT VOLET, or PARIS, salmon To azz whom it may camera 1 Be it known that I, RENE ALFRED LAU- RENT VOLET, a citizen of the French Republic, residing at Paris, F rance,'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Commutators and the like, of which thefollowing is'a specification.

This invention refers to devices made up from a ring of units of wedge shape having wlres connected thereto, and its most useful application is to the construction of com- 'mutators for electrical machines, especially those of small size, although the invention may be applied to other devices.

, The principal object of the invention is to simplify the construction of devices of the class in question, thus rendering them cheaper to manufacture, while at the same time they are stronger than those constructed up to the present.

The invention relates primarily to devices of thekind having wedge shaped elements provided with means integral therewith for theattachment of the wires to be connected theretoand consists in forming such means 7 of attachment aseyelets suitable for the reception of the said wires.

Itfurther relates to devices of the kind in which the elements are insulated from one another by an insulating material, for in stance hakelite, which can be poured between the elements, and the invention refers to a construction wherein the means of attach ment for the wires are completely embedded in the insulating material, holes being provided in the insulating material opposite the before mentionede'eyelets for the passage of the wires. j

The invention, in addition to the constructional features. just mentioned which are preferably used in combination also refers to other constructional arrangements which will be more fully described hereafter and to devices embodying such arrangements or constructions.

In order that my invention may be clearly Y understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings which however are merely given by way ofexample.

Figure 1 shows a part front elevation of la commutator for anelectrical machine constructed according to the inventi'on.

V, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the plates of .the said commutator.

' Fig. 3 is a plan of the blank from whichooMMuTAToR AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 20, 1921. Application filed October 6, 1920. Serial No. 414,985.

the plate is obtained by suitable folding or partly in elevation a commutator construct-- ed according to another method of carrying out the invention. L T

Fig. 6 is a part. side elevation of the said commutator.

Figs. 7 and 8 show respectively in side and in front elevation one of the plates of the same commutator.

In constructing a commutator according to the invention I proceed substantially as follows In making the plates which are of the known type having the radials, integral with the body of the plate, I provide a contoured block a, the shape of which is shown at ig. 4f, the said block being of anysuitable material such for instance as electrically pure copper. r

This block is formed with a lower fiat surface al arelatively shallow middle portion a? and thickened portions a toward each edge, these latter portions having their upper ward that the angle a which the upper surface makes with the lower surface a issubstantially equal to half the angle 6 which the two outer faces of the finished commutator plate make with one another.

The block is also so shaped that it is sym metrical in' a plane perpendicular to the lower surface a and to the longitudinal axis a.

The block is cut into a series of blanks, one of which is shown at Fig. 3. Eachv of these blanks comprises two identical side portions which are equal in length to the length of the finished plate and each furnished with a dove tail. It also has a transverse portion constituting a kind of' bridge between the side portions and connecting them toward one extremity. This bridge portion may be made, as shown, of some considerable width.

Each of the plates thus formed is folded around the before mentioned longitudinal elements are provided for thedevice.

They are assembled in ringyform in the ordinary-manner, with insulating material Into the" eye or eyelet provided on each element the wires '0 to'be attached thereto .are' passed.

For the purpose of securing them in position]: compress the-side walls of the eyeletby means of a suitable tool, such as a pair of flat nosed pliers, so as to crush the wire 0 andnip them in position. Or again, I may compress the walls as previously described and in addition rivet the sides of the plate together by means of a rivet cl preferably :passing through holes provided for that purpose in the portions of the blanks in the neighborhood of the sides of the eyelet as shown; or I may introduce solder or the like and then compress the sides of the walls by means of a'heated tOOl'SO that in addition to being compressed fusion of the solder or the like takes place to further obtain a perfectly secure connection.

. By the construction ust described Ican obtain an extremely-efhcient commutatorfor an electrical machine.

While the foregoing construction produces l a highly satisfactory article I prefer in some cases to adopt the following constructions which may be used in combination with [those already described or independently j thereof. I v I provlde a mold, ofany usual descript1on,.1nto which areinscrted the commutator plates formed and arrangedsubstanti ally as hereinbefore described. This mold is of suchsize that the plates may be completely or partially embedded in the; insulating material such as bakelite, thus forming the device when molded with a circular casing shown at Figs. 5 and 6, with the wallsso sha'ped 'as to allow for access of air. in the preferred construction, only'the eda'es ofthe radialswhich are located on'the side toward Ythe brushesto'be' used with the armature A'fterthe are visible, and the corresponding edges of the eyes a", which latter open into conduits 0, provided in the extension of the said eyes passing to'the side walls 6' of the device. fThe mold is also preferably; so formed that it enables a tube fto be furnished concentric to the axis of the casing, whichtube is mounted onthe axle of the armature of .the electrical machine. Provision is also made for struts or bindings for increasing the strength, such as those indicated at g' andh on Figs. 5 and 6 and the shape is such that the edgesof the casing are adapted to 'support'the extremities of Y the windings of the'armature located at the'side of the commutator. i

molde d device has i been dried and extracted from the mold, the commutab interposed betwcenthem in theusual way.

means, forinstance by casting.

into each of the eyes a", the proper joint or connection being completed if found desirable, by means of a. drop of solder at ethe edge of the eye. I

By the foregoing construction I obtain a commutator for, electrical machines,i-the' ,working of which will be understood without further descripton, and which fulfils practical requirements in an admirable man.

ner. I Owing to the fact that the radial members form an integral part of the plates instead of being simply carried by the. latter, and owing to the casing-e and the nclosed radials constituting. a block all risk is obviated of the radials becoming-detached through.

the centrifugal force. Again, owing to-the manner in which the wires areconnected to the radials. and in which the eyes for thereception of'these wires areinclosedin' the insulator all risk is obviated of the wires becoming detached eitherthrough the effects of centrifugal force or the heating due to working. Moreover, where as in the case of a device shown in Figs. lto Al the transverse portion of the blank from'which the plate is so that theradials are of considerable width, these latter; during operation produce azventil'ating effect which 18 very strong; This formed is of relatively considerable width,

effect may be increased where. desired} by increasing the radials and so forming them, for instance with-hollows that they form true ventilator vanes;

It willbe understood as has already-been" remarked that the. invention is not limited; to the particular methods of carrying it-into effect or to the constructional embodiments which i have been more particularly indi-' cated. V V

lit includes various modifications, among which theffollowing may be mentionedz f in place of making up therplates from.

blanks as previously. described, they maybe shaped as shown at'Figsl and2 by other.

In other cases the plates while having the same shape as those illustrated at Figs.

and 2may be'provided witheyelets .formed by turning or rolling over the edge as shown at'Figs. 6 and 7.

Or again, each of the plates maybe so formed that a small tongue is provided at.

the end of a radial.-. This-tonguemay be turned over a mandrel so as to form an eyelet and the extremity ofthe tongue may be fixed in any suitable manner, for instance by means of a rivet analogousto the rivet' cl. shownat Figs. 1 and'2. V

.VlThat I claim anddesire to securebyLetters Patent ofthe United States voffAmerica 1. Ina commutator or like .device,,a ring of wedge'shaped elements, eachofsuch elethe'said elements, an inclosing casing of insulating material in which the said elements are embedded, the said casing being provided with holes leading to the said eyes for the passage of the wires, substantially as described.

2. In a commutator or like device, a wedge shaped element, formed from a single blank of appropriate metal, provided with an enlarged end portion, and a connecting bridge portion, the blank being so shaped that when it is folded over so that the extremities meet, the middle portion constitutes the radial for the atachment of the wires, substantially as described.

3 In a commutator or'like device, a wedge shaped element, formed from a single blank of appropriate metal, provided with an enlarged end portion, and a connecting bridge portion, the blank being so shaped that when it is bent with the middle portion passing around a mandrel and the ends are brought together an eye is formed for the insertion ofthe wires, substantially as described. I

4:. In a device of the type described, a ring I of wedge shaped elements, each of such elements having formed integral therewith, an eye for the reception of the wires to be connected thereto, the radials of the said elements being moreover so shaped as to constitute the vanes of a fan substantially as described.

5. In a commutator or like device, a ring of wedge shaped elements each of such elements having formed integral therewith an eye for the reception of the wires to be connected thereto, insulating material between the said elements and a tube molded into the insulating material suitable for providing for the mounting of the device on the armature of an electrical machine, substantially as described.

6. In a commutator or like device, a ring of wedge shaped elements each of such elements having formed integral therewith an eye for the reception of the wires to be connected thereto, insulating material between the said elements, an inclosing casing of insulating material in which the elements are embedded, the said casing being provided with holes leading to the said eyes in one direction and having the eyes at the edge thereof in the other direction and wires soldered to the said eyes, substantially as described.

7. In a commutator or like device, a ring of wedge shaped elements each of such ele ments having formed integral therewith an eye for the reception of the wires to be connected thereto, insulating material between the said elements, and a casing of insulating material surrounding one end of said ring of wedge shaped elements and adapted to support the extremity of an armature winding adjacent to the commutator substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of a subscribing witness.

RENE ALFRED LAURENT VOLET.

Witness I VIoroR MARENDowsKI; 

